Whether seen as a positive or a negative, the digital nomad trend continues with new visas and organisations aimed at this population popping up around the world.
The term "digital nomad" may seem buzzy, but it actually comes from a book of the same name by Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners that, on its publication in 1997, predicted a future workforce of globe-trotting travellers logging in from abroad. The authors proposed that technological advances and humanity's will to explore would allow for a more mobile workforce. In the nearly three decades since, and with the advent of easily accessible wi-fi and online resources for travellers, the trend has exploded. So, too, has controversy, or at the very least, disagreement around it.
For many, digital nomadism is the ultimate dream lifestyle, allowing freedom of movement and the ability to explore the world while earning a living. Meanwhile, others say it contributes to gentrification and overtourism, that it drives up prices and makes cities nearly unliveable for locals. Now, a growing number of nations are upfront about a desire to attract these upwardly mobile visitors and have begun offering new visas for workers, while organisations spring up to attend to their needs.